Concept Exploration

 

Concept Exploration

 

Why and how did Orem or Henderson come up with their theories of nursing?  Both were nursing instructors attempting to explain to their students what nursing was and what it was not.  They took their observations (a qualitative process) and wrote them down. These theories were not tested (using quantitative research) when they wrote them down.  Over the years, scholars and researchers have conducted studies that examined the relationships defined in their theories and have established that there is support for their theories.  This process is the foundation of the profession of nursing. There is even a division of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), that oversees the federal funding of nursing research.  When researchers apply for grants, they frequently have to support their grant project with the underlying theory being used to conduct the research.

A theory consists of two concepts and the proposition between them.  For example, in Erikson’s Psychosocial Development theory, psychosocial development (Concept A) progresses through (Proposition) stages (Concept B). Think of It like two nouns and a verb. The term “proposition” is defined slightly different in this case than the full dictionary definition. We will use it as only the verb between the concepts for this course. If you move on to doctoral work, the definition will expand.  Common relationships found in nursing include: Concept A increases Concept B. Concept A is related to Concept B. Concept A is inversely related to Concept B. Concept A progresses through Concept B.

Concept analysis is the process of defining the terms used in the theory. The definition of a concept is how the author uses the term. Dictionary definitions are not used. In fact, dictionary definitions are developed from how terms are used in the literature. For this course you will do a very abbreviated concept analysis when you define conceptual terms. You will look in the literature for the ways that other authors have used the concepts being developed. A reference or two should be sufficient to adequately define terms and concepts used in this assignment.

While this is not a research course, theory and research are so tightly interwoven that it is difficult to talk about one without talking about the other.  Since this is not a research course, we will not go into correlation, “proof”, support, causation, and other purposes of research. As we go further into the course, however, we will integrate theory into research as we look at how concepts are measured for research purposes. We will also link concepts between clinical applications, middle-range theories, and conceptual models.

 

• Expectations
• Length: A minimum of 250 words, not including references
• Citations: At least one high-level scholarly reference in APA format from within the last 5 years

 

Concept Exploration

 

Choose a theory from your undergraduate education in any discipline. It should be a commonly used theory for the general public such as Maslow, Darwin, Descartes, or others you used in physiology courses, chemistry, business courses, etc. Do not use a nursing theory.  Provide the theory in your response.  Identify the two concepts and the proposition between them.  Explain the concepts. How might the terms used differ from the general use of the term?  How might the term be confused or misinterpreted? Format your theory in the form “psychosocial development (Concept A) progresses through (Proposition) stages (Concept B)”.